Inside The Survival Condo: Protecting The Mega-Rich From The Apocalypse
When developer Larry Hall learned of a former Atlas Missile silo sitting in the middle of rural Kansas, he had a brilliant idea. Built during the Cold War, the silo was originally a nuclear missile launch facility that was mostly forgotten about after the war ended. But even without the threat of a missile attack, many Americans are wary of what the future holds and want to be prepared for a major catastrophe, whether it be a nuclear war, a devastating storm, or a deadly virus.
Recognizing this, Hall toured the former Atlas Missile silo and envisioned creating a below-ground luxury condo complex that could survive the apocalypse. He's now offering a sneak peek inside the incredible Survival Condo designed for the rich, and it offers much more than you could ever dream of.
Larry Hall Is The Developer And Owner Of The Survival Condo
Larry Hall is the brains behind the operation. Once he came up with the idea of utilizing the former Atlas missile silo, he was able to secure $120 million in funding as a Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS). He sought to build a condo complex that could act as a safe haven during extreme weather, economic collapse, or threat of a nuclear war.
His mission for the project includes "physical protection, psychological design considerations, advanced technology, and the concept of an extended family with diverse backgrounds."
The Build Started With Demo
The Atlas missile silo is one of 72 that was built by the Army Corps of Engineers. Designed to survive a direct nuclear strike, the upper section of the silo has nine-foot thick walls made of epoxy-hardened concrete.
On the top of the silo, the domed structure is built to handle winds stronger than 500 MPH. Altogether, the silo offers 54,000 square feet of protected space and is designed to house 75 people for over five years.
He Purchased The Silo In 2008
Hall decided to purchase the silo in 2008, paying the government $300,000 for the facility. He then invested $20 million into the project. By wisely selecting a Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS), Hall saved $120 million in construction costs.
The crew got to work building 15 stories below ground, requiring an incredible amount of the strongest materials available. Quality and protection is key to the Survival Condo design. No detail was overlooked.
Working With A Round Layout
The former silo was redesigned into living space with a high-speed elevator and stairwell access throughout the entire facility. The Survival Condo was also built with top-of-the-line air filtration. This allows residents to be safe from the dangers of nuclear, biological, and chemical air pollutants.
Its redundant electric sources keep the facility powered, while 75,000 gallons of water is safely stored at the top of the former Atlas Missile silo.
Massive Steel Beams For Maximum Protection
Hall could have gone with a basic design that strictly focuses on strength and protection, but he felt that it was important to include design and luxury that would appeal to people, and make the facility more enjoyable to live in for five years if needed.
For years, the Environmental Protection Agency monitored the build and gave the facility a thumbs up on meeting health regulations as the missile infrastructure was safely removed.
Multiple Layers Of Rebar
To increase the dome's strength and durability, multiple layers of rebar were constructed on top of each other. Running both horizontally and vertically, the rebar helps protect the most vulnerable element of the facility. There were more than 600 tons of high-strength rebar used to build the structure.
Hall and his team knew what they were doing when they came up with this design, following their "preparing for anything" strategy. While the crew added more concrete to the existing structure, working with what they had saved a lot of money. In 1960 the build cost $15 million. Today it would add $60 million to the project if they were to replicate it.
A Big Operation In A Secret Location
Although many people have heard the buzz about the Survival Condo, Hall insists on keeping its exact location a secret. Situated in rural Kansas, Hall was able to keep the construction of the facility relatively quiet, without curious residents nearby to blow his cover.
Once it was built, Hall offered residents military-grade security, with highly specialized guards on duty to make sure no one threatens the safety of Survival Condo residents.
The Condos Sold Out Quickly
Once people caught wind of what Hall was doing, and just how well he was doing it, it didn't take much convincing for wealthy people to lay their claim on a doomsday condo. The facility is designed with 14 units, with the full-floor condo suite package priced at $3 million.
The full-floor condo spans 1,820 square feet of living space while the half-floor layout is approximately 900 square feet. Each of the 14 units has already been purchased.
The Condo Has Everything You Need
For many families, preparing for an emergency is a tough process. First to consider is all of the possible circumstances you would need to prepare for, as you would need different supplies and protection depending on the type of disaster you're faced with.
Hall's Survival Condo offers a logical option to prepare families for the fallout. Food, water, and supplies are provided, so families won't need to worry about stockpiling items. The steel and concrete design also provide much better protection than any normal residence could.
The Monolithic Dome Adds Protection
Hall and his crew built a monolithic dome over the top of the existing silo for added protection. The steel dome is able to withstand even the most powerful F-5 tornadoes and adds over 20,000 square feet of floor space to the top of the facility.
The dome alone required a lot of work, designed with layers of heavy steel to handle winds over 500 miles per hour. It looks rather curious erected in a rural setting like this.
The Entrance
Outside of the Survival Condo is a high fence, guarded by military-grade security that an attacker would have to pass through to even get to the entrance, which has blast doors designed to withstand large explosives. Looking at the bunker door, you could never guess what awaits inside.
Don't forget- Hall sought to provide protection for families, but he was also targeting the richest of the rich. And wealthy people don't want to give up their luxurious lifestyle, even if the world is on the edge of collapse.
Entering The Facility
Hall's crew masterfully redesigned the former missile silo, including this tiled entryway, that used to be a dark and dreary concrete tunnel. This is the first impression for residents upon entering the Survival Condo.
The few who have been lucky enough to visit the facility have noted the air feeling cool and fresh upon entering, a far cry from the defense site that it used to be. Even for those who might feel claustrophobic, the light tile brightens up the entrance.
An Elegant Entryway
There are two layout options that residents have when looking to purchase their survival condo. The full-floor layouts span 1,820 square feet and are designed for 6-10 family members.
The half-floor layouts cover 900 square feet and accommodate 3-5 people. Both options have a luxurious design that can make even the wealthiest members of society feel right at home. This elegant entryway features a small desk and a storage pocket for magazines and mail-- if such things exist after an apocalypse!
All Of The Comforts Of Home
The condos are customized, as residents can choose the decor that best fits their personal preference. This condo features warm colors with French art. The LED Big Screen TV mounted on the wall with the latest technology in sound makes residents feel right at home, even if a war was breaking out on the land above.
Details like the recessed lighting and beautiful wood floors take this condo to the next level of luxury.
Interior Design Makes Residents Feel Like They're In Their Own Home
When you think about trying to find a place to escape disaster, it's likely that your standards aren't very high. You wouldn't guess that your fallout shelter would have sofa chairs, a beautiful brick fireplace, or a sophisticated color palette- but this is made for the rich.
You can see that the windows are "simulated view" screens. These are important for residents' psychological health when they're unable to go outside for several years. The windows simulate outdoors views with light that brightens or dims, depending on the time of day.
Enough Room To Spread Out
Each condo has plenty of room for a full-size dining table and plenty of seating for all of its residents and possibly a few guests if you happen to make friends with the neighbors. Keeping in mind that the units are designed to comfortably live for five years, all of the furniture and lighting fixtures are of high quality and excellent design.
Each unit also has digital HVAC controls, recessed full spectrum LED lighting and a state-of-the-art energy-efficient washer and dryer in each unit.
The Survival Condo Can House 75 People
The purpose of the Survival Condo is to protect people from any type of devastation that's happening in the outside world. Its exact location remains a secret, but owner and developer Larry Hall did reveal that it's a three-hour drive from the Kansas City airport.
In the event of an emergency, residents of the Survival Condo would need to make sure they're able to reach it in time, far out past fields, barns, and empty roads in rural Kansas.
An Open Layout
The condo layouts make it easy for everyone to find their cozy spot in the home while also spending time together. The open layout features an L-shaped kitchen countertop with bar seating and a sink that faces out to the living space, so anyone cleaning dishes or cooking can still socialize or watch the kids.
Each unit is provisioned with a five-year supply of food for each family member. The food is freeze-dried and stored in special oxygen-free containers to keep it fresh.
Full-Size Kitchen Appliances
Each kitchen features full-size stainless steel appliances, including the refrigerator, dishwasher, dual-fuel professional range, wall oven, and a deep farmhouse sink.
Residents have several options to customize their kitchen counter-tops, including granite or custom concrete. This kitchen doesn't appear any different than what you would find in a luxury condo that isn't 200 feet below ground! Residents don't have to make any sacrifices in their fall-out home here.
Several Styles To Choose From
The previous slide showed a kitchen with light wood cabinets and Giallo ornamental counter-top. But if that style doesn't match a resident's taste, they can custom design their kitchen with other options, like these dark wood cabinets paired with white granite counter-tops.
The decorative backsplash adds an artsy element to this stunning kitchen. It's hard to believe that this unit is buried under rural Kansas! The design can easily make it feel like a high-end condo in a big city.
All Of The Details Of A Typical Luxury Condo
Residents have multiple options to choose from when customizing their Survival Condo. This includes the high-end flooring options and trim packages. In this unit, the bathroom features a large black granite counter, grey walls, and white trim.
Like any other luxury condo, the layout and hallways make it feel spacious and high-end. The bathroom is the same size as it would be in any other condo above land, offering convenience and comfort.
A Luxurious Bathroom
Seen here with a different counter option, each unit is designed with Kohler bath fixtures and a jetted Jacuzzi tub in the master bath. One thing that you won't see in these bathrooms? Toilet paper! An important aspect of the Survival Condo is to have a five-year supply of everything.
When doing the estimates for the space it would take to store enough toilet paper for 75 people five years, Hall figured out he would need to build an entire floor dedicated to just storing toilet paper, costing millions of dollars. Instead, residents have a toilet and a bidet.
A Practical Bedroom
If you were imagining a tiny cruise ship-like bed or cot, think again. The Survival Condo features three bedrooms in the full-floor layout and 1-2 bedrooms in the half-floor layout. The bedrooms are designed with practical storage options and shelving to make the most of the space.
Bedrooms also have the outdoor simulated view windows seen in the living space. Hall and his team really thought of everything to make residents comfortable.
A Walk-In Closet
Can you believe it? The master bedrooms in the Survival Condo are designed with a walk-in closet. Even if the world is ending, it's nice to have your entire wardrobe with you. This closet has everything residents would find in a luxury condo - shelving, shoe racks and plenty of drawers for storing clothes.
Each unit has an energy-efficient washer and dryer, but considering there's staff at the Survival Condo, residents may have the option of paying someone else to take care of their laundry instead.
Everyone Acts As An "Extended Family"
The Survival Condo is designed to accommodate all types of (wealthy) people, whether they're a retired couple, family of six, or a multi-generational family. Everyone who lives in the facility is instructed on survival skills and must agree to act together as one "extended" family during times of survival mode.
This also means that the condos aren't offered to everyone-- residents must submit to a background check and interview process to make sure that they're trustworthy and a good fit for the community. You would want good neighbors too if you thought the world might be ending.
Plenty Of Bedroom Storage
On the Survival Condo website, Hall explains that the facility isn't aiming to capture the "survival nuts" and "preppers" of the world. Instead, the luxury condo community seeks to find residents who are smart, like-minded, and want to protect their families.
They make it clear that in order to be accepted into the Survival Condo facility, potential residents must have plenty of financial resources, higher education, and a "desire to participate in the shared tasks of survival under difficult circumstances."
A Movie Theater
Of course, residents aren't just limited to their own condo-- there's plenty to explore within the former missile silo. All residents are welcome to utilize this top-of-the-line movie theater, located on one of the bottom floors.
This home theater is on par with one that you might see in an NBA player's home! It's designed with stadium seating and comfortable leather theater chairs. There's also a wet bar and tables in the back.
The Condo Has Its Own Store Inside
That's right, there's a store within the Survival Condo structure to accommodate residents. Hall and his team made sure that there's a five year supply of food available at the general store.
You can also see that no space was left untouched when the former missile silo was converted into luxury condos. The flooring, energy-efficient lighting, and shelving in the store are immaculate. Residents are even able to pick up fresh produce!
The Exercise Facility Is State-Of-The-Art
The Survival Condo also features a well-stocked gym. Residents can find everything they need to get some good exercise within the luxury condos, including cardio equipment, weight machines, and dumbbells.
The walls of the gym are even painted with superheroes and athletes. With plenty of time to burn with the world above possibly coming to an end, why not burn some calories in the gym? There are plenty of options for residents to spend their time.
A Classroom
The Survivor Condo is designed to meet the needs of all of its residents, and that includes the kids! Learning doesn't stop here-- Hall and his team designed a beautiful classroom complete with large desks, partitions, computers, and colorful office chairs.
There are also learning materials on hand and staff to help students. Imagine having a classroom in your condo complex! The Survivor Condo is truly a glimpse into the future.
A Library
One of the requirements of potential residents of the Survival Condo is being well-educated. They don't want their residents to sit around and be couch potatoes, they want them to be mentally sharp and full of knowledge.
The library within the condos is designed to hold plenty of books with several tables, sofa chairs and couches for residents to curl up and enjoy a good book, or study. You can see that the floor-to-ceiling bookshelf was custom made to fit the curved space of the former missile silo.
A Game Room
Another common area available to residents is the game room. Here, Survivor Condo residents can meet up with their neighbors and shoot a game of billiards or just lounge around.
An eight-top table is available for card and board games, and the full-size couch is no different than one you would find in your friend's living room at home (well, maybe nicer). Once again, the design of the space would never have you knowing you were far below ground.
A Common Room For Getting Work Done
Another space on one of the common floors offers a full conference table, additional room on the couch, and a full kitchen with seating. Residents may choose to use the space if they want to get some work done outside of their condo.
The red theme is carried throughout all of the common rooms, along with black granite countertops and stainless steel fixtures. Residents of the Survival Condo don't even need to leave their building to have access to a nice working space like this.
Yes, It Even Has A Bar
Just because you're preparing for the apocalypse doesn't mean you don't want to relax and enjoy some cocktails-- in fact, you may want to even more. This common area is designed for the adults to come down and have a drink.
Although the bar isn't stocked in the photo, areas like this will be operated by staff that lives in the underground luxury condo. It's hard to say what drink you'll want in the midst of a nuclear attack. But we trust that the Survival Condo would be stocked with anything your heart desires.
There's Plenty To Do Over Here
Hall designed the Survival Condo with the entire family in mind. In addition to the gym and game room is this space. Here residents can bring their pets, as a dog park is around the corner with plenty of room to throw the ball for Fido.
It also has a rock-climbing wall and a ping pong table for kids or families. To make it feel more natural, trees, turf, and wall murals of nature can be found around the facility.
There's Even A Saltwater Pool
This saltwater pool has to be the greatest kept secret below ground in Kansas. When it came to designing a place for residents to swim and relax, Hall and his team didn't hold back.
The beautiful, large pool has a water slide, plenty of lounge chairs and room for kids to play around. They selected the perfect lighting to imitate the outdoors, with a painted mural of the beach on the walls.
The Scale Is Impressive
One client who toured the facility said, "I am in awe of what I have seen here in person. This is top-shelf, a total class act. Security with all of the amenities and luxury? I would have paid more."
While other people are scrambling for canned food and toilet paper, those who secured a unit in the Survival Cono can look forward to jumping in the saltwater pool upon arrival.
Hydroponics & Aquaponics For Fresh Produce
Circling back to how residents access fresh produce, the Survival Condo has two floors dedicated to hydroponics and an aquaponic farm. Remember, the facility is designed to house 75 people for five years.
And this is a luxury fallout shelter for the rich-- they don't plan on living off of canned green beans if in a time of crisis. All of the produce here is organic, including plenty of leafy greens.
There Will Be Enough For Everyone, Without The Work
Unless you've been planning, preparing, and learning how to live off-grid in a survival situation, it's likely that you wouldn't know how to grow all of the food you want for the next five years.
That's one of the best advantages of the Survival Condos: everything is taken care of for you. Those who purchased a condo at the facility can rest assured knowing that there will be fresh food accessible no matter what, when they arrive.
The Facility Has An Indoor Shooting Range
Of course, when you're preparing for the apocalypse, you don't want your shooting skills to be rusty. When considering what residents of the Survival Condo would want in their facility, Hall included a shooting range into the design plans.
Like everything else in the Survival Condo, the shooting range is brand new and state-of-the-art quality. Each condo is also outfitted with a large safe for residents to store their firearms.
